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(No Model.)

A. H. 'FANGHER.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SEAMS 0F SHEET METAL CANS. No. 247,816. v Patented 001;. 4,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALTON H. FANOHER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING THE SEAMS OF SHEET-METAL CANS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,816, dated October 4, 1881.

Application filed June 25, 1881.

- of New York, have invented certain Improveing, and completing the said seams may be very effectually and conveniently performed.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of an apparatus constructed according to my said invention and taken in the line 3 y of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a front View, showing certain portions of said apparatus. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken in the line as a: of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are side views, on a larger scale, of certain parts embraced in the apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the parts tobe joined by the seam before the same are subjected to the action of the apparatus in the formation of the seam.

A is a jaw, placed upon the lower end of a shaft, 13, which works in suitable hearings in the frame 0 of the machine, and which may be providedwith the pulley a, by which a rotatory movement may be given to the said shaft,

and consequently to the jaw A. Axially coincident with the jaw A, and at a suitable distance therefrom, is a similar jaw, A, provided upon the end of a shaft, B, which, like the shaft 13, works in suitable bearingsprovided on the frame O, and is axially coincident with the said shaft B, but is capable of a longitudinal movement within its bearing 11. A lever, D, has its free end placed underneath and in contact with the lower end, a, of the shaft B,

' while its opposite end connects by a rod, C,

with a treadle, D, in such manner that by pressing downward upon the treadle D an upward movement is given to the jaw A, so that the two jawsA and A constitute a chuck,

in which are held the parts to be j oined. These parts consist of the cylindrical body E and the (No model.)

circular heads d of the can, the. heads being placed one upon each end of the said body and the jaws A and A of the chuck pressing inward to hold the heads in place upon the ends of the body. Each end of the body has its edge turned outward to form a circumferential flange, 6, while the circumference of each head '01 is turned to the shape represented in crosssection atf in Fig. 6, so that when the beaded circumferencef of the head and the flange c of the body are folded and flattened together, as hereinafter explained, they constitute the seam which unites the head with the body.

When the parts are placed within the chuck A and A, as just explained, the flange c of the body fits snugly within the partsf of the head, with the circumferential edge of the latter projecting beyond the circumferential edge of the flange e.

' Provided in the frame-workO is a dovetailed socket or guide, 9, in which is placed the longitudinally-adjustable head-block F, which, when moved lengthwise to the desired position, is fixed in place by a screw, 0, the head a of which projects beyond the edges of the longitudinal slot d of the head-block F, through which said slot the screw 0 itself is passed.

Projecting laterally from the head-block F is a broad arm, F, upon which is fitted, as represented in Fig. 1, the laterally adjustable block G, the forward face of which is formed with avertical dovetailed spline, h, which fits into a correspondingly-shaped seat or groove formed in the vertically-adjustableblock H, which latter has extending from its upper part the horizontal table H. Formed horizontally in the laterallyadjustable block G is a transverse slot, 5, and provided in the verticallyadjustable block 11 is a vertical slot, 70. A bolt, m, with suitable nuts upon the extremities thereof, extends through the slots 70 and i, and also through a suitable hole in the arm F, so that by tightening the nuts on'the said bolt m the laterally-adjustable block G and the vertically-adjustable block H,'with its horizontal either backward or forward by moving the block F and then fixing it in the requisite position by the bolt 0, or laterally by moving the laterally-adjustable block G and fixing it in position by means of the bolt on, or vertically by moving the vertically-adjustable block H and fixing thesame in position by means of the said bolt m and a threaded stay-bolt, m, adjusted against its front end, so that by the means described the table H and the operative mechanism supported thereon, as hereinafter explained, may be brought into any requisite relation with the can placed between the jaws A and A, as hereiubefore set forth.

Formed in the upper side of the table H, in a direction transverse thereto, is a dovetailed socket, in which is placed the correspondinglyshaped spline a of a carrier, J, which latter, by a suitable adjustment of the parts hereinbefore described, is brought into due relation with the end of the can at which the joint or seam is to be formed. The carrier J carries the two folding-rollers K and L, which work on vertical journals or spindles 1, provided to the carrier. In order, however, that these rollers K and L may be adjusted for acting upon cans of diiferent diameters, the journals or spindles 1' of the said rollers are made adj ustable in slots m and 02., provided in the carrier J, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that, in conjunction with the adjustment of the blocks F, G, and H, the rollers can be brought in due proximity or relation with the parts to be joined, whether the diameter of the latter be greater or less. Of the rollers K and L, the latter is constructed with a circumferential groove, 8, of semicircular cross-section, while the roller K is provided with a circumferential groove, u, flattened at its bottom and of less depth than the groove 8 of the other roller, L.

The jaw A (and also the jaw A, when the apparatnsis constructed for closing both ends of the can at one and the same time) is constructed with a circumferential groove, to, and the rollers K and L are constructed with circumferential flanges 2, which fit into this groove w in the circumference of the adjacentjaw, the roller K being distant from the roller L, say, one-quarter of the circumference of the can in which the seam is to be made, although in practice the distance between the two rollers will be slightly more, the arrangement of the said rollers with reference to the can E being more clearly indicated in Fig. 3. The carrier J is moved inward and outward from the adjacent jawby means ofalevcr, M, pivoted, as shown at r, to the table II. The body and heads of the can being griped between thejaws A A of the chucks, as hereinbeforeexplained,and the parts being adjusted in due relation with each other, the carrierJ is moved against the adjacentjaw, whereupon the flange z of the roller L passes tangentially into the groove to of the adjacent jaw,so that the saidrolleris heldand guided and prevented from tilting upward, while the surface of its groove 8 bears against the conjoined edgef and flange e of the head and body of the can, and folds the same inwardly together to the substantially circular or semicircular form indicated in Fig. 4. When the stroke of the roller L is completed and the infolding of the edges has progressed to the point just mentioned, the flange z of the roller K passes radially into the groove 10 of the adjacent head, and is thereby sustained and guided,while the pressure of the flat bottom of the groove u of the said roller in adirection radial to the axis of the can flattens the circular folded edges into the form indicated in Fig. 5, thereby forming a double seam, it being understood, of course, that, as just hereinbefore described, the operation of the roller K in the formation of the can (composed of the body E and heads 61) has an axially rotatory movement communicated thereto by the rotation of the shaft B, as hereinbefore indicated.

When desired, the apparatus hereinbefore described, and represented in the drawings, as operating in conjunction with the upper jaw, A, of the chuck, may be duplicated with reference to the lower jaw, I of said chuck, in which latter case the operation of seaming both ends of the can may proceed at one and the same time; but inasmuch as this duplication of the parts to close the lower simultane ously with the upper seam requires only fair mechanical judgment, I have not considered it necessary to represent such duplication in the drawings.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an apparatus for double-seaming the ends of sheet-metal cans, the griping-chuck A A, having a jaw circumferentially grooved or indented, in combination with one or more bending-rollers constructed with a circumferential flange, 2, coincident with and adapted to the groove 20 in the jaw, for the purpose of sustaining the bending-roller in proper relation to the jaw in the operation of folding the edges to be joined, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In an apparatus for double-seaming th ends ofsheet-metal cans, the combination of the circumferentially-grooved rollers K and L, the one having its groove of semicircular and the other of flattened cross-section, and a carrier, J, for bringing the said rollers, the one tangentially and the other radially, against the coincident edges of the head and of the body of the can, to fold the same into a double seam, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In an apparatus for double-seaming the ends of sheet-metal cans, the table H, constructed with a transverse socket or guide, the sliding carrier J, constructed to move in the guide or socket of the said table, the circumferentially-grooved rollers K and L, having the flanges z, and journaled upon the table J, the chuck having one of its jaws constructed with the circumferential groove to, and a lever, M, for giving a rectilinear movement to the carrier J to and from the chuck, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. In an apparatus for double-seaming the ends of sheet-metal cans, the block F, adjustable in a forward and backward direction, the

IIO

laterally-adjustable block G, the vertically-a-dand arranged for joint use and operation subjustable block H, constructed with the table H, stantially as and for the purpose herein set 10 the bolt m, the carrier J, capable of a transverse forth.

movement on the table H, and carrying the 5 pair of oircumferentially-grooved rollers K and ALTON FANOHER' L, the chuck composed of the jaws A and A, Witnesses: and the frame 0, constructed with a guide or ROBT. W. MATTHEWS, socket for the block F, the whole constructed THOMAS E. CROSSMAN. 

